Ariadne's Tears
by River of Oblivion
Summary: When the team discovers an Ancient ruin on the mainland, Elizabeth joins them in an attempt to unlock its secrets. Sparky UST
1. No Rest for the Weary

**Disclaimer: I don't own Atlantis and I'm making absolutely nothing off of this story. Nothing, Nada, Zilch.**

**Summary: When the team finds an Ancient ruin on the mainland, Elizabeth joins them in an attempt to unlock its secrets.**

**I started writing this story shortly after "Intruder" aired, so it takes place in between that episode and...umm...probably"Instinct."**

**A/N: So this is my first venture into lengthy story land. I hope you enjoy it!**

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She could feel another headache coming on, the kind that wouldn't be quickly alleviated by a couple of Tylenol. No, this headache demanded a rare cure, one that couldn't be obtained easily: A full night's sleep. She rubbed her temples gently in an attempt to ease the pain, but it was to no avail. The words on her laptop's screen kept running together as she tried, for the umpteenth time, to read through one of the team's mission reports. At this point and time she couldn't even remember whose it was. A sharp rap at the door provided a welcome interruption.

"Come in!" she called.

The door opened to reveal an annoyingly bright-eyed John Sheppard. "Good morning Dr. Weir," he said, producing a cup of steaming hot coffee from behind his back.

Elizabeth started a little and glanced at the clock. It was 0800 hours which meant…"I'm late for the briefing!" She exclaimed in horror.

If there was one thing Dr. Elizabeth Weir never was, it was tardy.

"I volunteered to come get you." John offered her the coffee.

She took the proffered mug with a grateful smile and followed him out into the hall.

"Well," she grimaced as they were walking, "This is embarrassing."

John turned and looked at her, "What, you mean being late? Don't worry about it Elizabeth, you're only human," then he added teasingly, "At least I think you are"

Tired as she was Elizabeth couldn't come up with something witty to say in reply, so she just smiled and shook her head as they entered the briefing room. The scene that greeted them was close to chaotic. Ronon had McKay's laptop and was threatening to smash it into the wall. Rodney, never tactful, was alternating between pleading for his computer's life and hurling abuse at the physically domineering Dex. Teyla had assumed the role of peacemaker and was standing between the two men, a restraining hand on Ronon's arm.

"Gentlemen!" Elizabeth barked at the same time Sheppard said, "Knock it off!"

Ronon and McKay immediately stopped bickering and turned to face Atlantis' leaders. Dex had the good grace to look properly penitent. Rodney wasn't in possession of good grace. "He started it!" the scientist whined, perfectly emulating a five year old.

Elizabeth heaved a deep sigh; this was not what she needed right now. John must have heard the message behind the sudden expulsion of breath. "I don't care who started it," he said, easily taking control of the situation, "In fact, I don't even want to know how your little spat started, unless it's something besides McKay being obnoxious, or Ronon being a bully, or any variation on those two excuses."

Elizabeth thought she and Teyla were doing an admirable job keeping their amusement to themselves, though she could see the very corners of the Athosian woman's mouth beginning to turn up. This was obviously not the first time such a scenario had played itself out amongst Atlantis' flagship team. "Now," John continued, "Let's act like civilized adults and take our seats."

Soon, although McKay was grumbling and Ronon set the laptop down with a little more force than was necessary, the team was seated. Elizabeth shot John her second grateful look of the day and gracefully took her seat. "Now then," she began smoothly, "I understand an interesting discovery was made on the mainland and you'd like to check it out?"

McKay lost his sulking look and replaced it with one of excitement. "Yes," the astrophysicist said, rubbing his hands together in delight. Elizabeth was briefly reminded of a child on Christmas morning. "Yesterday, when we were picking Teyla up from the mainland she told us that a hunting party had stumbled upon a large ruin while they were traipsing through the forest."

John continued from there, "So on our way home Rodney convinced me to take a little detour and fly over the location where they found it, and our scans…."

"Yes, yes, yes," Rodney interrupted, "Our scans picked up massive energy readings coming from the site."

"Any idea what might be there?" Elizabeth inquired.

"No, I'm not really sure," McKay answered, "but that's what we're hoping to find out."

"All right then," Elizabeth said as she rose, "Good luck. You'll embark at 1300 hours." Elizabeth found herself thankful that the briefing had been so short; she wouldn't have trusted her eyes to stay open had it been of the grueling hour long variety.

When the team had taken their leave, she allowed herself to sink back into the chair she had so recently vacated. Folding her arms into a makeshift pillow, she rested her head on the table. _Just a few minutes, _she thought, _A few minutes where I can relax and not think of the dozens of things I should be doing. _But when her mind wasn't otherwise occupied, memories she's managed to repress were pushed to the forefront of her mind. _Simon's apologetic face as he told her the three words that were exactly the opposite of those she'd wanted to hear. _

"Elizabeth?" Her head shot up. "Are you okay?" John was at her side, tentatively touching her shoulder.

He must have been waiting for her outside the door and when she failed to emerge, had come back into the briefing room to check on her. "Yes, I'm fine," she said confidently, and to prove it, stood up and promptly fainted.

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**

"How much sleep have you been getting?" Carson asked, narrowing his eyes at his errant patient.

Elizabeth wouldn't look at him, instead focusing on her hands. "Enough to function," she answered.

Somehow the doctor wasn't convinced. "Oh really?" he said, raising an eyebrow, "then perhaps you would like to explain why Colonel Sheppard had to carry you into my infirmary a few minutes ago?"

She shook her head. Carson rubbed his face, "Look lass, I don't mean to come across like I'm mothering you, but you really need to be getting more rest."

"Carson, it's not like I wouldn't enjoy getting a full night's sleep more often, but I can't. There's just too much to do around here," she protested.

"Nobody is going to begrudge you a few hours sleep every night," he argued.

But they would; she knew. There was a city to be run. Paperwork wouldn't magically get done and problems wouldn't disappear while she was in the land of dreams. "I'm ordering you to take a vacation," the Scot said, pulling out his trump card. As the city's CMO he outranked her when it came to matters of health.

Still, Elizabeth was shocked enough to argue, "Carson, I can't do that! I have responsibilities! And besides, I just took a vacation."

Dr. Beckett sighed, "If you're referring to the trip to Earth I happen to know that you spent most of our visit in meetings or behind a desk, so that hardly qualified as a vacation. Not to mention the fact that our return on the Daedalus was over three months ago, and you've been running yourself ragged ever since."

Elizabeth was slightly taken aback. Had it really been that long? She sighed, the count was Carson: 1, Elizabeth: 0. Suddenly she smiled; she could still best him. "All right Carson," she said in mock defeat, "You win; but tell me, where exactly am I going to go for this little break?"

She saw Beckett's eyed narrow as he mulled over this unexpected flaw in his plan. He knew as well as she did that if she were to stay in the city, work would inevitably find its way to her, whether by her will or not. On the other hand, their few SGA teams were all scheduled for missions, so no one would be able to escort her on an offworld trip, if they could even find a place suitable. He was about to concede her point when John, who up until then had been silently watching their exchange, spoke from his position by the doorway, "My team's heading to the mainland in a few hours if you'd like to come with us. I'm sure the Athosians would love to see you Elizabeth."

She glared at him, but he simply shrugged innocently. Glancing over at Carson, she saw the doctor's face alight with triumph. I was time to bow out gracefully. "All right," she said, the defeat in her voice genuine this time, "the mainland it is."

"Good," Dr. Beckett sounded satisfied, "And don't worry love, the city will still be here when you get back. I'm sure Colonel Caldwell will keep everything running smoothly."

"Colonel Caldwell?" Elizabeth tried to keep the concern out of her voice, but she must not have succeeded because John raised an eyebrow and Carson shot her a questioning look.

"Aye, I know the two of you don't always get along, but he is the most qualified to run the city in your absence," the doctor placated.

Elizabeth kept her voice neutral, "Yes, I'm sure he'll do a fine job."

And he probably would, being the incredibly competent man he was; that wasn't her concern Ever since she had pushed for John to become Atlantis' military commander, Caldwell had been considerably less friendly toward both her and Sheppard; and she might be paranoid, but she got the feeling the Colonel was watching her, looking for any sign that she was unfit for her position. Because of this, she was being even more careful than usual not to show anything that might be construed as a hint of weakness. Elizabeth was pretty sure that needing Caldwell to baby-sit the city while she was on a vacation she had been ordered to take because she'd fainted from a combination of stress and exhaustion and sleep depravation would be construed as a hint of weakness. "All right then Elizabeth; I'm ordering you to take five days off."

"But," she interjected weakly.

"No buts," Carson said firmly, "Five days Dr. Weir, you need it."

Part of her wanted to fight him, but her subconscious knew the doctor was right. "I guess I'll go pack then," she said, giving in.

"Oh, and Elizabeth?" Carson stopped her as she was leaving, "Try to eat more, you've lost a bit of weight,"

"I'll try," she replied, then smiled, "And thanks Carson."

"For what?" He asked, confused.

"For caring enough to make me do this. I may not like it, but I know it's probably for my own good."

He chuckled, "Anytime lass."

As she passed John she gave him a look of mock disapproval. "As for you Colonel Sheppard, later on we'll have a talk about aiding and abetting the enemy."

John gave her a lopsided smile and a sloppy salute, "Yes ma'am." Then his expression turned serious. "I was really worried when you collapsed back there Elizabeth."

She touched his arm reassuringly, "I know, I'm really sorry."

"Well just don't do it again," John teased, perfectly emulating Carson's inflection and tone from earlier.

Elizabeth grinned as the doctor called from the back, "I heard that!"

"I'll try not to," she replied, "and thanks John, for everything."

His eyes met hers. "Anytime," he said softly, and this time his voice held no trace of Beckett's accent.


	2. Compromises

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own 'em.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews!**

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The trip to the mainland was mostly uneventful, the exception being when Rodney, who had voluntarily given up his seat for Elizabeth, began complaining about the effect the weapons locker was having on his back. Elizabeth immediately offered to give his seat back, but John wouldn't hear of it, and Ronon basically told McKay to "toughen up." This almost led to the renewal of the episode that had occurred before that morning's briefing, but Teyla intervened once again. In the end, Elizabeth kept her seat and Ronon reluctantly traded spots with Rodney. Elizabeth suspected Dex's uncharacteristic graciousness was more a result of Teyla's gentle persuasion than anything.

Without any further incidents, the team touched down on Athosian soil a short while later. Halling and Jinto were waiting for them and both of them greeted Elizabeth enthusiastically. "It has been too long, Dr. Weir," Halling said warmly, "We are happy to have you here."

John had contacted the Athosians ahead of time and they had hastily erected a tent for Elizabeth to stay in. Because it was on such short notice, and because of Halling's description, she was expecting a small, modest tent located at the edge of the settlement. In reality, her temporary dwelling place was huge, big enough to fit ten people, elaborately decorated and located right across from Halling's home. "Wow," John whistled as they went inside, obviously impressed, "Makes me wish I'd been ordered to take a vacation."

Elizabeth frowned at him but had to agree with the sentiment. The tent was better furnished than her quarters in Atlantis. Her bed, king-sized by Earth standards, was positioned against the far wall and what looked sort of like a chaise was located directly across from it. Both were covered in blankets and the softest furs Elizabeth had ever seen. A wooden table, large enough to seat four, sat in the middle of the room. There was a beautifully carved desk next to the bed. Tapestries were hung along the entire length of one wall and candles were situated throughout the tent. As she breathed in, Elizabeth could've sworn she smelled, of all things, roses. "Nice digs," Ronon commented.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at Sheppard, who merely shrugged. "What can I say? I'm gifted at teaching aliens English slang."

"Colonel, are you ready to go?" Rodney's impatient voice came from outside.

"In a minute, McKay!" John barked, "Why don't you go find Teyla and let her know we're heading out."

"Fine!" Rodney called back peevishly.

Elizabeth stifled a laugh when John turned to her and rolled his eyes in and exaggerated manner. "I'd better go find her before he does," Ronon stated gruffly as he pushed open the tent flap.

John sighed, "I guess I'd better be going as well." He set her bag, which he had insisted on carrying, in the corner.

"Good luck," Elizabeth said.

"Thanks, I'll need it," he replied as he turned to leave. Pausing at the entrance he added, "Oh, and Elizabeth? Enjoy your new digs." And then he was gone.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It was slightly less than six hours later when they returned. Elizabeth, who had been dozing, was awakened by John and Rodney's loud arguing. "There was no point in staying McKay!" Sheppard's annoyed voice cut into her subconscious.

"But there could be Ancient technology in there!" Rodney protested.

"Well that doesn't help if we can't get in there to get it," John shot back.

Elizabeth rolled off the bed and stumbled to the entrance-way, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The team was walking through the middle of the village, heading for her tent. "Back so soon?" she inquired groggily.

"Apparently Colonel Sheppard didn't see the wisdom in staying," Rodney grumbled.

"It's getting dark and we couldn't get into the ruins, so I figured instead of camping out there we could come back here, eat a decent meal, spend the night in the village," John defended himself. "I was thinking it might help if we headed back to Atlantis tomorrow to regroup."

"Dr. McKay was having trouble deciphering all of the writing," Teyla added.

"Not trouble per se," Rodney hurriedly corrected, "I didn't have enough time to translate all of it (here he shot a glare at the Lt. Colonel) and I'm not entirely sure I have the context right."

Suddenly his eyes brightened, "But you're here Elizabeth! You have a much better grasp of Ancient than I do, maybe…"

"Nope, sorry Rodney," John cut him off, "Dr. Weir is on a much deserved vacation."

"But…." McKay protested.

"No," Sheppard reiterated firmly.

"I'd love to help," Elizabeth found herself saying. This earned a pleased look from Rodney and a disapproving one from John.

"That's fantastic!" Rodney exclaimed at the same time Sheppard said, "You're supposed to be resting."

Elizabeth motioned for John to follow her into her tent. "This could be important John," she said softly, crossing her arms, "I'd like to help if I can."

Sheppard sighed, "You're on vacation for a reason Elizabeth."

"I know, believe me I do," she said, "But in a way this is a vacation for me. I never get to see ruins or go exploring."

John looked at her for a long moment. "Okay, he finally acceded, "But only if you can convince Carson to let you."

Her whole face lit up and she smiled, a real smile that reached her eyes. "Thank you John," she replied happily.

"Don't thank me yet," he said dryly, "You haven't seen what a grouch Ronon is right after he wakes up."


	3. Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned them, but sadly I don't**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They are most definitely appreciated. Sorry this chapter's a wee bit short, the next one will be longer.**

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_That night she dreamed about him again. This time she was walking down the street when she saw him, sitting in a restaurant with…her, his someone else. She found herself walking up to the window and watching the happy couple. As if her bleak thoughts had summoned it, rain began to fall, softly at first, but increasing in its intensity. As the precipitation reached torrential levels, the street began to flood. She pounded on the glass, hoping to catch his attention. "Help me!" she screamed as the cold water swirled about her feet. _

_He turned and looked at her, his face so devoid of emotion he could have been a corpse. Then he smiled, a cold heartless smile, crossed the room and pulled the window blinds down in her face. The water had reached her thighs and it was becoming increasingly difficult to stand. Horrified, she pounded the glass harder, attempting to break it with her fists. "Please!" she cried again, "Help!"_

_But no one came to her aid. The restaurant remained silent and still. Suddenly she heard a masculine voice calling, "Ariadne! Ariadne! Over here!" _

_She turned and saw someone, in the dark she couldn't tell who, beckoning to her from a shop across the street. "I'll help you," she heard the man call._

_She pushed against the current, making for the stranger. She was almost there when she was swept off of her feet by a particularly strong surge. She tried to grab the man's outstretched hand, but missed. "Ariadne!" the stranger's voice, filled with anguish, was the last thing she heard before she was pulled under._

Elizabeth awoke with a start, sweat-soaked and shaking. She immediately became aware of what she thought was another presence in the room, but as she looked around she saw no one. The pounding in her heart slowly faded along with the feeling of being watched, and Elizabeth sank back into her pillows with a sigh. A glance at her watch revealed that it was a quarter to six, roughly an hour before the team was slated to leave. She sighed and pulled herself out from under the covers, idly wondering if she was doomed to never get a good night's sleep.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The ruins were quite a substantial trek away, and it took the better part of the morning to get there. When Elizabeth asked John why they hadn't taken the Jumper, he had replied with a smirk, "Because it's good for McKay to get some exercise."

And he hadn't been kidding the night before when he'd mentioned Ronon's early morning mood. The tall Satedan spent most of the hike glowering and snapping at those who got too close to him. Elizabeth passed the time by conversing with Teyla, something she rarely got a chance to do during her hectic days on Atlantis. "The crops are growing fairly well, although the gorlik plants have become afflicted by parasites," the graceful Athosian was saying.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to inquire about these gorlik plants when she heard McKay declare excitedly, "We're here!"

She looked up and caught her first glimpse of the Ancient ruins. As she did so she had to chuckle a little. Normally when one thought of ruins, the Anasazi cliff dwellings or Egyptian pyramids came to mind. This particular site looked more along the lines of the Acropolis in Greece. "What is so amusing Dr. Weir?" Teyla asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

Elizabeth shook her head, "It's nothing; I was just thinking about perception. This," she waved a hand toward the large structure, "wasn't what I had in mind."

At that point Rodney came bustling over. "Okay Elizabeth, here's what I've got so far," he said, pulling out his notes.

Elizabeth briefly glanced at them, "That's it?"

McKay actually looked sheepish. "Yeah, there wasn't much writing. It just took me a while to get the gist of it."

"How much writing is left?" she inquired.

"A couple of lines; and I'm not sure I translated the first lines correctly."

Elizabeth smiled as she acknowledged the irony of the situation; McKay was actually admitting he wasn't the expert on something. Granted, this wasn't scientific in nature, but still… She straightened and switched her brain into full work mode. "All right," she said, adjusting her vest, "Let's get started."


	4. Down the Rabbit Hole

**A/N: Well, I guess this chapter's not much longer than the last one. Oh well, c'est la vie. Thanks for the reviews by the way!**

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It turned out Rodney was right on the money with his translations, something Elizabeth was sure would only add to his inflated sense of self-worth. The last two lines were fairly easy to decrypt. "Finished!" she called, standing up and brushing the dust off of her pants.

"So what's it say?" John asked, sauntering over from where he'd been keeping watch.

"You're so impatient," Rodney grumbled.

"Me?" Sheppard was indignant, "Look who's talking."

Elizabeth cleared her throat and looked at each of them pointedly. "Shall I continue?" she asked.

"Please do Dr. Weir," Teyla spoke from behind her.

"Actually Rodney, why don't you read the first few lines? After all, you did translate them."

McKay visibly brightened. "Well, the passage apparently speaks of a labyrinth inside these walls, built by the Atlantians to deter trespassers and thieves. At the center of the labyrinth, it says there is 'a guide to the stars," he glanced at Sheppard, "a navigational device."

John raised his eyebrows, "So what exactly does it do?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "It doesn't say," he answered, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice, "If I knew I would have told you."

John pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, so what did the rest of the text say?"

Rodney shuffled his feet, "That's as far as I got, and Elizabeth actually figured out the part about the device. I was having some trouble with the phrasing and…"

"Elizabeth?" Sheppard inquired, interrupting the scientist's rambling explanation.

She ran a hand over the engraving. "This part here," she explained, fingers pausing on a group of symbols, "mentions a guardian, one who cries 'tears of betrayal.' Then there's a vague warning, sort of the equivalent of 'beware.'"

"That doesn't exactly sound pleasant," Ronon commented wryly.

"There is no mention of a way to enter this place?" Teyla cocked her head to the side.

Elizabeth stepped away from the wall with a sigh, "No, there isn't."

John's eyes flicked from her to Rodney and then back again. "So we're back at square one." It wasn't a question.

"At least now we know for certain what's in there," McKay pointed out.

"That doesn't do us a whole lot of good if we can't get in there to get it," John countered.

"Couldn't we use explosives?" Ronon asked, folding his arms.

"Yeah, maybe we could set up some C4 and…."

John was cut off by McKay. "Are you kidding me! Who knows how much damage you could do. The whole structure could cave in and then we'd have no chance of recovering anything!" he exclaimed, aghast.

"Okaaay, so what do you suggest we do?" John was starting to sound annoyed.

Elizabeth found herself wondering how this team ever got anything done. "If you just give me more time, I'm sure I can figure out a way in." Rodney stated confidently.

"We were here for many hours yesterday yet we were unable to find an entrance," Teyla interjected.

John smirked and Elizabeth hid a smile with her hand. _Way to go Teyla,_ she mentally applauded the younger woman. Rodney visibly deflated. "Just give me a couple of hours?" he pleaded.

Sheppard looked at his watch. "All right, two hours," he consented, then gave the scientist a look that clearly said, 'and no arguing.'

Rodney practically ran to the other end of the football field-length structure. Elizabeth watched him go, amused by just how fast the astrophysicist could move when he really wanted to. Feeling eyes on her back she turned to meet John's gaze. She narrowed her eyes, "What?"

"Nothing, you just looked like you were having fun," he replied.

She smoothed an unruly curl away from her face. "I was."

He sat down on a large boulder and rummaged through his pack. Pulling out an MRE he asked, "Hungry?"

Elizabeth grimaced, only half-jokingly, and said, "Actually I was thinking of taking another look around myself, see if I can't help Rodney."

He shrugged, "Suit yourself; you're missing out on a delicacy."

She laughed, "I guess I'll just have to make do."

As she strode along the edge of the main structure, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she hadn't been able to help out more. She ran her hand along the wall as she walked, savoring the feel of the weathered stone beneath her fingertips, the sun warm on her back, and the light breeze that ruffled her hair. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, realizing with a pang just how much she missed this, taking time away from life's hustle and bustle to enjoy a warm spring day, to enjoy just being alive.

Elizabeth had almost allowed herself to get completely lost in the sensation when her hand brushed something. Frowning, she opened her eyes and leaned in for a closer look. There, in the faint trails her fingers had left in the dust was an indentation of some kind. Starting to get excited she immediately set about clearing away the rest of the dust. Some of the centuries-old buildup had become quite impacted, and by the time she had uncovered what was beneath it her hands were absolutely filthy. Dirt streaked her pants, and she suspected her face. Elizabeth was too eager to care however. She had discovered more writing and something else. At first she'd mistaken it for a flaw in the architecture but the rectangular form jutting out from the wall was too symmetrical, too perfect, and its close proximity to the writing led Elizabeth to believe it was put there on purpose and might possibly be their way inside the ruin. Cleaning the dust off of the object, Elizabeth had turned to call Rodney when everything started to spin uncontrollably and her world faded to black.


	5. Painful Realizations

John stood and stretched, then packed up the remnants of his barely edible lunch. A glance in Ronon and Teyla's direction showed the two of them busy eating their own lunches, the former wolfing down the contents of his MRE and the latter delicately picking at hers, nose wrinkled in thinly veiled disgust. "I'm going to go check on McKay and Elizabeth," he called, eliciting a grunt from Ronon and a nod from Teyla.

After he had made his way over to the opposite end of the ruin, he was surprised to see Rodney working alone. "Where's Elizabeth?" he queried.

The scientist didn't take his eyes off of the technological doohickey he was holding. "Huh?" he mumbled, clearly lost in his own world.

John rolled his eyes. "You know, medium-height, slim, green eyes, brown hair…"

Rodney cut him off, "Thank you Colonel, I'm aware of her physical attributes."

John bit back a hasty retort. "So where is she?"

McKay shrugged, "How should I know? The last time I saw her she was with you."

Now John was starting to get worried. He clicked on his radio, thanking his lucky stars that he had had enough foresight to insist Elizabeth be outfitted with at least the minimum amount of gear each team member wore on missions. "Elizabeth?"

His radio responded with static. "Elizabeth please respond," he tried again, and again there was no reply.

Fear formed a cold knot in the pit of his stomach. Rodney looked up, concern etched in his features. "What is it? What's wrong? Why isn't she answering?"

Ignoring the scientist's panicked questions for fear the tenuous hold he had on his own emotions would be lost John radioed the rest of his team. "Ronon, Teyla?"

"We are here Colonel," Teyla's reply was immediate.

"Elizabeth's gone missing," he relayed tersely.

There was a moment of silence on the other end then, "Ronon suggested that he and I search the woods along the edge of the clearing."

John considered it briefly, but decided against such an action. "That's a negative; we should stick together as a group. Anything could be out there."

McKay made some sort of a strangling noise, but John ignored it.

"Understood Colonel, we are heading for your position now."

"Do you think something took her, like an animal or something?" Rodney was becoming more agitated by the minute.

John raised a hand to try and still the scientist's alarm. "I don't know McKay, I'm just covering all the bases," he soothed, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

Rodney shot him a look. "Are you patronizing me?"

"Rodney," John sighed, exasperated. He didn't need this right now. It was already taking every ounce of his self-control not to go rushing about haphazardly in an attempt to find Atlantis' leader.

Suddenly his radio came to life. "Colonel Sheppard? Ronon has found something."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Her footprints end here." Ronon crouched in the dirt by the ruin wall.

"So what, then she just walked through solid stone?" McKay was incredulous.

"Perhaps she discovered a way in?" Teyla suggested.

"Rodney, can you translate this writing?" John asked.

McKay snorted, "I think I can handle it Colonel."

Ignoring the scientist's sarcasm, John simply replied tightly, "Then do it."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

As she slowly regained consciousness, Elizabeth became aware of two things; one: she was laying on a hard cold surface, and two: the temperature had dropped substantially. Wincing, she opened her eyes and pushed herself up. A quick perusal of her surroundings told Elizabeth that she was inside some sort of a large building. The floor she was sitting on consisted of cool marble, and the stones that made up the walls and the ceiling that vaulted high above her were similar to the ones she had been touching before she'd ended up here, leading her to believe she was inside the same large ruin she had been standing outside of in the not too distant past. What appeared to be flameless torches lined the wall, which Elizabeth found a little creepy. Standing, she flicked on her radio. "John?"

"Elizabeth?" He sounded immensely relieved.

_Guess they already knew I was gone, _she thought wryly.

"Are you okay?" John's concerned voice floated over the airway.

"Yes I'm fine. I'm inside the ruin."

The next question came from Rodney. "Can you tell me how you got in? We found the last place you were standing, near the writing, and for all intents and purposes it looks like you walked through the wall."

Elizabeth furrowed her brow, thinking back to her last moments in the outside world. "There was a square object protruding from the wall. I was cleaning it off to get a better look and the next thing I knew, I was laying on the floor in here."

There was a long silence on the other end; so long in fact, that Elizabeth began to wonder if they'd forgotten about her. She was reaching for her radio when it crackled again.

"Uh, Elizabeth?" It was McKay, "We found the device, and the good Colonel ignored me and touched it, but as you can probably tell since he's not standing there next to you, it didn't work. In fact…." He hesitated.

The suspense grated on her nerves. "Rodney?" she prompted.

"I'm not getting any energy readings from the device at all."

_Well that's just peachy._ Apparently she wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

The fact that Elizabeth was feeling increasingly uneasy only added to the situation. Something about this place was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She cleared her throat, "Did you translate the passage?"

This time it was John who answered. "Rodney's working on it." She could practically feel the frustration he felt at his inability to do anything.

Elizabeth was about to reassure him when her sense of unease suddenly increased exponentially. Something was definitely not right. Her eyes did a sweep of the large room she was currently in, but she didn't see anything that would be causing her to feel like a tightly wound spring.

"Dr. Weir?"

Elizabeth almost leapt out of her skin. Taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she responded, "Yes Teyla?"

"Dr. McKay would like me to inquire as to whether or not there is a device similar to the one you touched present anywhere in the area around you."

Elizabeth was turning to look at the wall nearest her when she heard it, a clatter that came from one on the hallways leading into the room. She froze mid-turn. It couldn't be possible; there was no way. _How could something have survived down here for so long?_ Unless it hadn't been in there since the time of the Ancients. Maybe who or whatever it was had only recently found its way in the same way she had, or maybe there was some animal on the mainland that could pass through solid matter. Her mind racing with possibilities, Elizabeth slowly backed up against the wall. She sat absolutely still, ears straining for sound. A couple of minutes had passed when Teyla hailed her again, "Dr. Weir?"

Elizabeth waited a few moments more; still nothing. Thinking maybe she'd imagined it, she reached for the switch to respond. Suddenly she heard it again, what sounded for all the world like the footfall of hooves, and it was getting closer.


	6. Synergy

When Elizabeth failed to respond to Teyla's call, John felt his worry from earlier come back with a vengeance. "Elizabeth?" He tried to keep the urgency out of his voice but failed miserably.

When it came, her whispered reply was so soft he almost didn't catch it. "There's something else in here."

His heart seized. "Rodney, we need to get in there now! Elizabeth's got company!"

McKay glanced up from his pile of translations and scientific instruments. "What? You mean there's something alive in there? That doesn't make any sense; I mean I don't see how something could have gotten in…"

"Rodney!" Sheppard growled, losing the last of his patience.

"Oh, well I'm sorry, I'll just pick up the pace a little," the scientist shot back, "Considering the fact that we have no way in and nothing to go on, I'm sure you yelling will help me come up with a solution faster."

For a fraction of a second John felt like hitting him. Teyla must have seen it in his eyes because she stepped in between him and the astrophysicist. "Dr. McKay is doing his best to help," she attempted to pacify him.

John nodded almost imperceptively and opened the hands he hadn't even known were clenched. Catching his eye, Teyla added sympathetically, "Dr. Weir is very resourceful; I am sure she will be all right."

John felt anything but reassured, but knew his options were pretty limited. The device that had transported Elizabeth inside wasn't functioning, the Daedalus and its handy beaming technology were located elsewhere in the galaxy helping with an evacuation, and he wasn't ready to resort to C4 yet, not after hearing McKay's warning about the potential consequences of its use. So there was really only one choice: manual labor. He turned toward the former Runner. "Ronon, I want you and Teyla to hike back to the jumper and contact Atlantis. Let them know the situation and tell them to send a couple of teams over here with any kind of tool that could be used to cut, smash, or grind through stone."

John paused, an internal struggle taking place, then came to a decision, "And tell them to bring C4, just in case."

After they departed, he sagged against the wall, debating whether or not to try to contact Elizabeth. He wanted to make sure she was all right, but breaking radio silence might put her in danger if she wasn't already. Realizing that the only good that would come out of the risking contact was his reassurance of her wellbeing, John opted not to try and reach her. He didn't like it, but there was no way he was going to jeopardize her safety just to make himself feel better.

"We're all worried about her you know," McKay's voice cut into his thoughts

John glanced over to where Rodney was diligently scribbling notes. "I know that."

McKay scoffed but didn't say anything. John sighed, his mind once again turning to thoughts of Elizabeth, her silvery laughter and expressive halcyon eyes. He hoped she was okay; he needed her to be okay, but all he could do was wait.

He had never felt so helpless before in his life.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Elizabeth's heart was beating so furiously that she was surprised the sound wasn't echoing off of the walls. The blood was rushing in her ears as she attempted to quell the fear that threatened to overwhelm her. She was crouched in the corner, desperately trying to make herself invisible. She'd thought briefly about running, but the prospect of leaving the room in which was probably her only means of getting out of this place didn't hold much appeal. Then there was the passage on the wall that Rodney had translated, something about a labyrinth, and she wasn't too keen on getting lost in a maze. So, she was waiting, every muscle in her body taut, listening to the steady clopping of hooves coming her way. The sound itself threw her for a loop. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what could be making it, unless there was a horse in there for some reason. Maybe this structure was just a stable where the Ancients kept their polo ponies. She barked out a laugh then clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. _Oh man, I'm losing it,_ she thought wildly, _Get a grip Elizabeth!_

Suddenly the cause of the noise rounded the corner and stood in the archway. Elizabeth's mouth dropped open in shock. In this case it seemed reality was stranger than anything her imagination could have conjured up. The enormous creature that had just entered the room had the legs and torso of a man, but sitting atop its broad shoulders was the head of a bull. Cleft hooves the size of dinner plates extended from heavily muscled calves and tattered rags covered much of the monstrosity's shaggy body.

At that moment Elizabeth found herself extremely happy that John had evidently realized the severity of her situation and wasn't trying to contact her again. Her mind was reeling but she kept absolutely still as the amalgamation of human and animal took a few steps forward and swung its massive head around, clearly searching for her. It raised its huge nostrils into the air and sniffed, then started walking again, heading for her corner. It had reached the middle of the room when its eyes met hers, and Elizabeth realized she was going to have to make a run for it after all. The creature stamped its hooves and bellowed, then rushed at her. She bolted, scrambling from her insecure hiding place and running as fast as she could for the corridor nearest her. As she came to the first fork in the path she punched on her radio, "John?"

He replied instantly, "Elizabeth, what's going on? Are you safe?"

Breathing hard she turned another corner, angry roaring filling the hall behind her. "It's a minotaur."

This time he took longer to respond. "A what?" he sounded like she had hit him over the back of the head with a heavy object.

"Yes I know." The creature was gaining on her, and her attempts to lose it around various turns were proving futile.

"Tell Rodney I had to leave the room." She gasped as she sucked in some much needed air, "Apparently it's not very friendly."

Her lungs were starting to burn, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins was more than enough to keep her going. If she faltered she was going to die, it was as simple as that.

"Elizabeth….just hang on okay? I, we'll get you out," John faltered, voice thick with fear and apprehension.

Elizabeth appreciated the thought, but she knew without a doubt that there was no way they would be able to reach her in time, even if the transportation device was working; and she knew John knew it too. She put on a burst of speed as she swerved to the left down another corridor, right into a dead end. Struggling for breath she closed her eyes. _This is it._ The Minotaur couldn't be far behind. "John? I….reached…a dead….a dead end." She panted as she started walking the last few feet to the wall.

Just then the Minotaur rounded the corner, snorting and angry.

"Elizabeth!" His voice was filled with alarm.

The ground beneath her feet shook as the Minotaur approached, eyes gleaming in triumph. Her hand brushed the wall behind her and terror set in. She was trapped and she was going to die.

"Goodbye John." She whispered sadly.

Suddenly a crack appeared in the floor, then another and another, an intricate spider web of faults forming around her feet. Her last thought before the ground gave way was, _At least this is better than being gored_, and then she knew no more.


	7. Deafening Silence

**A/N: Well, an update has been a long time coming, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is little to no interest left, but here we go, the next chapter of my story.** **Sorry this chapter is so short, the next one will be longer. **

**Just as a reminder, this story takes place sometime mid-season two, and makes mention of a few early episodes, namely _Intruder._**

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Elizabeth!" John called desperately, "Elizabeth!"

There was no answer. He slammed a fist into the stone wall, the subsequent pain in his hand barely registering.

"Colonel?" John could hear McKay's worried inquiry, but it seemed as if it wasn't directed at him.

He was completely numb. Icy fingers tightened around his heart as he stared, unseeing, at the ground in front of him. He hadn't been able to help her, to save her, and now he had lost her forever. "She's gone." His voice was cold, emotionless.

Rodney looked stricken, for once at a loss for words.

After a long silence the scientist choked out, "You mean she's dead? Are you sure?"

John didn't look at him. "She told me she had reached a dead end and when I tried to contact her, there was nothing, just static."

"But she could still…" Rodney trailed off, floored by the utter hopelessness he saw in the Colonel's eyes.

"That thing was still chasing her. She knew she was in trouble McKay. She said…she said, 'Goodbye.'" John uttered the last word softly, the power of its finality draining the strength from his voice.

Rodney, his face unnaturally pale, walked over and awkwardly placed a hand on John's shoulder. "Look, I'm really not that good at this kind of thing, but uh, well I know how much Elizabeth means, ah, meant to you and…"

John turned and walked away, effectively stopping McKay from saying anything else. He didn't want to hear any platitudes, not when his emotions were so raw, not when everything inside of him was aching with barely suppressed anguish.

He needed to get away, to breathe. He couldn't stop the heartrending questions that invaded his mind.

What was Atlantis going to do without her?

What was he going to do without her?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

After Teyla and Ronon contacted Atlantis and were assured that Major Lorne and his team, who had returned early from their off world mission, were on their way, they started the long trek back to the ruin.

"We have contacted Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard. Major Lorne is on his way and should arrive at your location within the hour."

Teyla frowned at the Colonel's quiet and distant tone when he replied, "Good work Teyla; we'll see you in a few hours. Sheppard out."

She sent Ronon a worried look before clicking her radio on again, "Is something wrong Colonel?"

"Elizabeth…she's gone." His answer was clipped, his voice reserved.

Teyla felt her heart sink. She and Dr. Weir had not been close, but she respected and admired the leader of Atlantis. The repercussions of her loss would be great indeed. She relayed the news to Ronon and watched as his eyes hardened in response.

I am sorry… John." She said with remorse, "She will be greatly missed."

He mumbled something in response and then signed out. Teyla bowed her head for a brief moment, grieving not only for Elizabeth Weir, but for the part of John Sheppard that would have inevitably died along with her.

Ronon moved closer to her and Teyla smiled gratefully as they continued walking, each drawing comfort from the other's proximity.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When Lorne and his team touched down at the ruin, they were met by a very subdued Colonel Sheppard. John quickly briefed them, repeating the bad news.

Major Lorne visibly crumpled and then asked him, his voice wavering slightly, if he could try and contact Dr. Weir again. John, who had already tried to reach her on two separate occasions when hope had briefly touched his consciousness, and who was now without an ounce of that particular emotion, nodded numbly. Lorne's endeavors failed just as spectacularly as his own. Elizabeth was really gone.

The young major was taking the news hard, John noted, and wondered if Lorne had had more than a substantial crush on their expedition leader.

As soon as everything was unloaded and Lorne's team situated with various tools of all different shapes and sizes, they got to work hacking and chipping away at the bare wall next to the writing. There was no way John was just going to leave Elizabeth in there.

He himself picked up something resembling a sledgehammer and got to work, ignoring the heat of the afternoon and the strain on his arms as he swung, over and over again, concentrating only on the feel of the handle and the curve of her face, taking out his anger and grief on the hapless rock.


	8. Glass Hearts and Stone Walls

**A/N: Some parts of this chapter were actually pretty hard to write, especially given the reader's omnipotent view of what's going on elsewhere in the story. So...here goes nothing.**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I'm really glad that people are still interested in this story!**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**

For the second time that day, Elizabeth was slowly regaining consciousness. This time, however, her whole body ached, and she could feel pain lancing through her head before she even opened her eyes. She managed to sit up, although she was wincing as she did so, her muscles aching in protest. Her head was throbbing and she felt a little dizzy. _Probably a mild concussion,_ she concluded, and she was pretty sure she was going to have some lovely colored bruises in various places for a while.

Pushing some rubble off of her she glanced around. The walls in this room were also lined with the strange torches she'd seen before. The air was still dusty from the ceiling's collapse, giving the room a ghostly atmosphere. Speaking of the ceiling…Elizabeth looked up and suppressed a shudder when she saw how far she'd fallen. The good news was that the Minotaur hadn't followed her down, so for the moment she was safe.

She reached for her radio, only to discover it was no longer on her vest. Rummaging around in the debris, she found it…smashed into oblivion and lying in pieces. She was cut off from the outside world, completely and frighteningly alone.

Elizabeth tried to push herself up only to find that her left ankle wouldn't support her weight. It screamed in protest and buckled when she attempted to stand on it. Guessing she hadn't noticed anything wrong because the pain had been generalized when she'd awoken, she gently eased her pant leg up to look at the damage. Her ankle had taken on the appearance of a discolored baseball._ This day just gets better and better._

It was a struggle, but Elizabeth managed to get herself into a standing position. Sweating from the pain and effort, she leaned against the wall, hoping to catch her breath.

Using the cool stones for support, she started to hobble down the hall.

Elizabeth had made it only a few yards when her stomach started to growl. Cursing herself for not eating what John had offered her, she searched her vest's pockets, hoping to find something edible. _Bingo. _She discovered two slightly smashed but perfectly good power bars. After quickly devouring one, she decided it would probably be prudent to save the other for later and grudgingly replaced it. There was a small canteen of water in the adjacent pocket. A couple of small sips later and it too was put back. She didn't know how long she was going to be down there so she had to ration out what little she had.

When she reached the end of the hall Elizabeth was dismayed to discover that this was apparently another level of the labyrinth. She was probably going to have to traverse this maze before she could even reach the next floor, unless she could somehow get out from this level. Elizabeth felt her heart leap at the notion of such a possibility.

Maybe some good could even come of her situation if she somehow managed to find the device that the text had mentioned. _Rodney would be ecstatic about that. _

Her senses on alert for any sign of danger, she warily took a few hobbling steps to the right. With a sudden flash of insight she backtracked to where the ceiling had collapsed and gathered as many stones as she could fit in her vest, then returned to the intersection and made a small pile.

_Hansel and Gretel eat your heart out,_ she thought wryly.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

_Have I already gone this way? _Elizabeth thought she remembered seeing this crumbling section of wall before, and sure enough, there was her little pile of stones at the beginning of the path she was on. Sighing wearily she passed the landmark and walked out into the middle of the crossroads. Stones marked three out of the four possible path entrances. _One more possibility here, a thousand more to go._

Elizabeth found herself wishing she had an innate sense of direction like John seemed to.

_John_

For one fleeting, selfish moment she wished he was there with her. In that second she would have given anything to see his face, hear his warm voice comforting her, teasing her, anything.

_Oh come on Elizabeth, you're not a damsel in distress. You can take care of yourself, _she berated herself irritably.

But companionship would be nice, especially his…She stopped dead in her tracks. _Where did that come from?_ She shook her head; there was really no use in thinking about such things anyway. If John had been with her he might have gotten hurt or worse. She didn't think that even a P-90 would have killed the powerful Minotaur right away; and John had spent more than enough time in the infirmary. She would gladly spare him another trip if she could. Elizabeth was grateful for his attempt at rescuing her, but was at the same time relieved that the transportation device hadn't worked for him.

Still…the warm feeling she'd attained at the mere thought of him refused to dissipate; and his name still dimly echoed in her head, like a wish whispered for fear if it was uttered too loudly it would never come true.

She wondered what he and the rest of his team were doing at that moment. _Probably moving heaven and earth to get to me._

Unfortunately, the ruins had ended up being even larger than they'd originally thought, and it would take them a substantial period of time to even find the abrupt entrance she'd inadvertently created to the basement, and if they found the Minotaur…No, her original plan of trying to find her own way out was still the most prudent. If nothing else, she could at least meet the rest of the team halfway. _My stone piles will help them figure out where I am. _

Suddenly her heart froze, _Unless they think I'm already dead. _

Now that she thought about it, Elizabeth realized there was absolutely no reason to believe they thought her alive. _Which means they won't even bother to try and rescue me. _

She knew that no one was ever left behind if they could help it, dead or alive, but in this instance she was trapped inside layer after layer of thick stone, and in a maze at that! Had she been in charge, she wouldn't have ordered anyone to recover her body under such extraordinary circumstances. If for some reason the team did decide to try and find her, there wouldn't be the same sense of urgency in doing so as there would have been if they were attempting a rescue.

Fear slid into Elizabeth's consciousness; even if she somehow managed to find a way back to the outside world, she would still have to make the long hike back to the Athosian village, and she would make it alone. Her hope of rescue faded along with her remaining strength as the realization hit her:

If she wanted to make it back to Atlantis there was a very good possibility she would have to do it on her own.

This time she was going to have to save herself.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA


	9. Hinc illae lacrimae

**So here's the next installment of my story; I hope you enjoy it! **

**Please review!**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAA**

John stepped back and wiped the sweat off of his brow. Off to his right, he could see Major Lorne doing the same thing.

"I don't seem to be making any progress sir," the major sounded tired and dejected.

John closed his eyes, "I'm not getting anywhere either Lorne; don't beat yourself up about it."

Truth was, nobody had been able to do anything more than chip away the surface of the ruins' remarkably hard stone. They had been working for nearly three hours straight and had almost nothing to show for it. Lorne's team looked absolutely exhausted, and McKay had given up a long time ago.

With a heavy sigh, John turned his back to the wall and collapsed against it, dropping his unwieldy tool as he slid to the ground. Seeing their leader resting against the ruin, Lorne and his team followed suit.

John covered his face with his hands, the emotions he'd been keeping at bay for the last few hours threatening to overwhelm him with a sudden flash of intensity.

"Sir?" The concern in the major's voice was almost enough to undo him.

"This is fascinating!" McKay cut in excitedly, running his fingers over the writing next to the transportation device.

If looks could kill, John's would have vaporized Rodney where he stood.

McKay's face paled, "What? I thought that it might be helpful to finish translating this in case it mentioned a way in."

"And did it?" John felt hope flare, only to have it shot down by McKay's reply.

"Umm…not exactly, no," Rodney looked sheepish, "Not for us anyway."

John looked at him expectantly.

"Huh? Oh, ah yes. The text actually parallels the Classical Greek story of Theseus the Ionian hero."

John had to dredge up memories of his high school literature class, "You mean the guy who went to that island with a labyrinth to kill the Minotaur?" His eyes widened as he realized the connection.

"That's him, but interestingly enough, this passage seems to be written from Ariadne's point of view."

Sheppard and Major Lorne exchanged confused looks.

John asked the question they were both thinking, "Whose point of view?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, "You know, the princess who fell in love with Theseus and ended up being betrayed by him. Sometimes she's portrayed as being the Guardian of…" His voice trailed off as understanding dawned on his face, "Of course!"

"McKay, what is it? The Guardian of what?" John demanded.

Rodney finally looked at him, eagerness in every fiber of his being, "Ariadne is the guardian of the labyrinth. The passage Elizabeth and I translated on the far wall, it spoke of the Guardian, the one who cries tears of betrayal."

"So Ariadne was an ancient?" Lorne hazarded a guess.

"I would say so, and Theseus probably was as well." Rodney glanced over at the two officers.

John furrowed his brow, "So she had this place built?"

McKay shrugged, "All the signs seem to point toward that being the case."

"Why would she have a navigational device?" John stood and walked over to where McKay was crouched, intrigued despite himself. Maybe they would be able to figure out how Elizabeth had been transported inside.

Rodney snapped his fingers, "In the story, Ariadne supposedly gave Theseus a ball of twine or something similar, so he wouldn't get lost in the labyrinth."

"Boy, those Ancient Greeks were a little off, weren't they?" Lorne's dry wit brought only a ghost of a smile to John's face.

"Yes well, balls of twine, advanced technological devices…they're all the same really." Rodney's voice dripped with sarcasm

"So how did El…Elizabeth get inside," John stumbled a little over her name, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other two men, nor by the rest of Lorne's team.

Rodney cleared his throat. "Actually I was just getting to that. Right here," he pointed to a particular line in the text, "it says that only those who know of the Guardian's pain will be allowed to enter.

"Well now we all know," Lorne pointed out, "So why can't we go in?'

McKay shook his head, "It's not talking about having simple knowledge of the story. I think it means that only those who empathetically know will be allowed to enter…those who've experienced the same type of heartbreak. Though how that fits Elizabeth I don't…"

"Simon," John interrupted suddenly.

Seeing Rodney and Lorne's blank stares he elaborated, "Her ex-boyfriend back on Earth. While she was gone he met someone else."

The Major mumbled something under his breath that sounded like 'idiot," but John couldn't be entirely certain.

Rodney nodded, "That would make sense."

John bit his lip and frowned, "I don't understand something: Why would this Ariadne build a place that only people who know how she feels can enter?"

For once, Rodney looked at a loss.

John's face twisted in anger. "And why would this _ancient_," he pointed furiously toward the ruin, "let these people in only to be attacked by some monster!"

He started pacing, a plethora of emotions playing across his features.

Rodney watched him sadly; life really wasn't fair sometimes. It was one of the only times Elizabeth had left the relative safety of Atlantis, and she had ended up losing her life; and John had ended up losing the person he cared for the most. The sad thing was he doubted John or Elizabeth had realized just how much they meant to each other…until it was too late.

He caught Lorne's eye and the two of them shared a look of concern and sorrow.

For some people, the void left by Dr. Elizabeth Weir would never be filled.

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAA**


	10. Pins and Needles

**A/N: Phew! This is by far the longest chapter I've written, but it didn't seem right to split it into more than one, so here you are, enjoy!  
**

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

She had been wandering around for about three hours, and Elizabeth still had no idea where in the ruin she was, nor how close she was to the device or an exit of some sort. She was exhausted, dirty and hungry. Her ankle had only gotten worse the more she walked on it and her skull felt like it was splitting in two. Elizabeth was getting dangerously close to doing something she had never before considered: She was on the verge of giving up. As soon as the thought entered her head she angrily pushed it away. She wasn't a quitter, never had been and if she could help it, never would be.

Elizabeth pushed herself up from where she had been sitting, determined to press on until she found what she was looking for or collapsed from the strain.

She wobbled a little as she rose, and her feet were slightly unsteady as she once again began to walk down the hall. She unwrapped her second power bar and devoured it quickly, aware that she would need the energy. Her canteen was still about half-full, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would never make it to the Athosian village on her water supply, and the nearest water source wasn't too far from where they'd left the puddlejumper. _But I have to try. I'm certainly not going to just curl up into a self-pitying ball and die._

Dr. Elizabeth Weir wasn't one to go down without a fight.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A half an hour, three rights and six left turns later, Elizabeth felt herself shutting down and knew she had just about reached her self-imposed extreme of going until she dropped.

She stumbled over to the wall and clutched at it in a desperate attempt to stay upright, but it was to no avail. Her shaky legs gave out and she slid to the ground, breathing hard. _Okay…maybe I'll just rest for a few seconds._

Elizabeth could feel her eyelids drooping shut and fought to keep them open. Sleep beckoned enticingly, and she wanted nothing more than to accept the invitation, but she had a terrifying feeling that to give in would be dangerous. She made one last valiant attempt to get up, but she could hardly lift her arm, let alone her whole body.

"Ariadne…" A haunting whisper echoed down the corridor.

Elizabeth's eyes widened, _That name…_

"Elizabeth…"

She was shocked, frightened, and terribly curious all at the same time. She suppressed a shiver as the ghostly entity repeated her name.

"What!" Elizabeth was aware that her voice was reaching the upper limits of its range, "What do you want from me! Who are you!"

Everything suddenly went silent, as though whoever or whatever was calling her had to stop and think about her inquiries.

A bright golden light suddenly flashed in the space in front of her, a sharp contrast to the dim glow cast by the torches; and Elizabeth had to shield her eyes against its unexpected intensity.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the light faded, and when Elizabeth opened her eyes she saw in shock that she was no longer in the twisting hallways she had spent the last few hours of her life in, but rather a spacious well-lit room with elaborate frescoes painted along the length of the walls and the ceiling. Looking closer, she could see that most of the images were of a beautiful young woman with long black hair and piercing rime-grey eyes.

In the largest of the pictures she was wielding what looked like a burning sword in one hand and holding an octagonal object in the other, in the next she was shown on her knees with tears pouring out of her eyes, and in another she was shown standing with a handsome man.

In the middle of the room was a large rectangular platform with square blocks raised to different heights making up its surface. The squares had ancient writing on them.

Elizabeth looked around her in wonder and bewilderment. She had no clue how she had been transported there, nor what her sudden arrival might portend.

"Elizabeth…"

She whirled around so quickly she almost fell over, and came face to face with a mirror image of the woman in the paintings. Well, she would have been a mirror image, except for the fact that the live version had her own personal backlighting.

"You're an ancient," Elizabeth breathed in awe, "An ascended ancient!"

The woman laughed, her distinctive grey eyes sparkling in amusement. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"But…Who are you? What are you doing here? Why am I here? How do you know my name?" The questions tumbled out of Elizabeth's mouth before she could stop them.

The woman raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in a way Elizabeth found eerily familiar. "My name is Ariadne."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open in a way she was sure did nothing to convince the ancient of modern-day humans' intelligence.

Ariadne sighed and walked over to the large stone table and it immediately lit up. "As for why you are here…," she turned and smiled at Elizabeth, "You are here because I have allowed you to be."

Elizabeth blinked in confusion, "I'm not sure I understand."

The beautiful ancient started pushing the squares in a way that looked random, but must have been some sort of a code because the whole platform suddenly started glowing with a pulsating blue light. Tendrils of energy spiked from the squares and the writing shone a brilliant white as the platform blazed even brighter.

Elizabeth winced and stepped back but Ariadne seemed unaffected. The ancient was the epitome of serenity and grace as she coolly regarded the pulsating platform.

With a final burst of energy the light that the platform was exuding flickered and died. When Elizabeth's vision cleared she could see that Ariadne was holding something which on closer inspection appeared to be the octagonal object from the fresco.

"This is what you seek."

Ariadne sounded so sure that Elizabeth almost hesitated in questioning her. "What is it? How do you know what I'm looking for?"

The ancient gave her a look, "You are searching for the "guide to the stars" are you not? That is the only reason anyone would seek to enter the labyrinth."

Elizabeth looked from the object to Ariadne's face and then back again in surprise, "Well, we were hoping to find a navigational device, yes."

Ariadne smiled enigmatically, "Besides, I know much about you Elizabeth Weir. I know that though you live in a city full of people you feel alone. I know that you push yourself and work so hard so that you can keep the nightmares at bay. I know you have been hurt and betrayed, and I know that this device is not the only thing you are searching for."

Elizabeth looked at her for a long moment before something clicked in her brain, "You were in my tent last night!"

Ariadne inclined her head, "That is true."

Elizabeth was hit by a second revelation, "And the dream, that was you too wasn't it?"

The beautiful ancient nodded, her silver eyes boring into Elizabeth's green ones, "I was trying to send you a message."

Elizabeth was incredulous, "And you had to do that by giving me a nightmare!"

Ariadne shrugged, not looking the least bit sorry, "I did what I had to do to get my point across."

Elizabeth frowned and shook her head, "But I didn't even understand what you were trying to say."

The ancient seemed to look through her as she smiled, "In time you will understand."

Elizabeth bit her lip in frustration and crossed her arms, "Do you think you could be any more cryptic?"

Ariadne didn't even bat an eyelash, "Yes."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, _An ancient with a sense of humor; interesting._

She huffed out a breath in exasperation, "Okay, so why did you put the device in here and not in some technologically advanced lockbox?"

The corner of the other woman's mouth twitched, "Like you, I am fascinated by other cultures. I spent much of my time with the original inhabitants of this world, wishing to learn how they lived."

Elizabeth stared in astonishment, "Original inhabitants?"

"Yes, they called this planet Hellas, and themselves the Hellenes."

"The Greeks," Elizabeth whispered to herself in wonder.

"They were great masters of stone, able to do things I would never have thought possible with such a rough material," Ariadne continued, "I quickly befriended them and because I admired their work so, they built this place for me when I needed it."

The ancient took a deep breath and laid a hand on the cool stone, "I found this design to be more suited to my tastes than anything of Lantean design." She turned and gave Elizabeth a sharp look, "And such a place would not be expected to hold something of such great power. When you do something that the enemy does not expect, it gives you the upper hand. There is no way anyone would be able to find this device using Lantean technology, something that would be possible in Atlantis."

"I don't understand; why would you need to hide this device? What does it do that makes it worth taking such measures?" Elizabeth furrowed her brow.

Ariadne waved her hand over the octagonal object and it unfolded until it was no longer spherical, but flat. A split second later it glowed with the same golden hue as the ancient herself and projected what appeared to be a map of the galaxy. Elizabeth had seen such a map once before, in the hologram room on Atlantis.

"_Ex animo ad astra_," the ancient's words resonated with power, and the device responded. All across the map, in a pattern that was apparently random, some of the tiny dots representing planets began to shine more fiercely than the rest. They became hot pinpoints of radiance, attaining a blue tinge. Then, one by one, those lights dimmed to their original luster until only three remained, three out of nearly a hundred.

The light in Ariadne's eyes seemed to fade a little more with the loss of each subsequent planet. She bowed her head, "I am sorry, even though I knew of the destruction of our cities, it hurts so much more when faced with a visual representation."

Elizabeth found herself in shock once again, "Those are Ancient cities? Like Atlantis?"

Ariadne nodded.

"But who would you need to hide their existence from? The other ancients would already know, wouldn't they?"

Ariadne half smiled, half sneered, "Not all of them. There was one…man among us who betrayed all we stood for. He would have sold everything everything, all of our technology, our information, our cities, to the highest bidder. The thing was, he didn't know where all of the Lantean cities were. That was why we…I hid the device." She paused and sighed, "But he discovered this place. I wasn't able to find another planet to hide the device on due to the arrival of the Wraith, so I did the only thing I could think of. I fortified this place using an experimental technology that only allowed certain people to enter, people who would hopefully be pure of heart, people who would understand me and what I had to do. Just for good measure, I had the Hellenes capture a legendary beast who roamed the hills behind their village, an immortal creature who was supposed to guard this place against all intruders."

"Your minotaur attacked me," Elizabeth pointed out, "And I was able to get in here using your technology."

Ariadne actually looked sheepish, "Indeed, and for that I am sorry. I originally enabled the device that transported you in here to leave a sort of an…afterglow of sorts, a technological marker that kept the minotaur from attacking. Unfortunately, I hadn't counted on the destructive forces of time. The device, as you have seen, still works, but the marker does not."

Elizabeth snorted, "Why didn't you stop it from attacking me? You knew it was going to kill me, but you did nothing!"

The ancient grimaced, "Unfortunately as one of the ascended I was unable to help you."

"But you're here now, giving me this device," Elizabeth countered, "How is this any different?"

Ariadne simply shrugged, "For some reason, this I was allowed to do. The others have not tried to stop me."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "That is so like the ancients."

Ariadne fixed her with a bemused look, "You sound so very much like your Colonel, you know."

Elizabeth glanced at her in surprise, "Joh…I mean, Colonel Sheppard?"

Ariadne grinned, "Yes, your John."

Elizabeth raised her hand in an attempt to counter the other woman "Oh no, no, he's not…"

Ariadne waved her protests away, "Please Elizabeth." She looked away for a brief moment and when she glanced back in Elizabeth's direction, she had tears in her eyes, "I know what you have gone through. The man I mentioned before, Theseus, the one who betrayed the rest of the Lanteans…"

Elizabeth's eyes widened, "Theseus? The Theseus of ancient mythology? The hero of Greece?" She gasped, "This…this is the origin of the legend?"

Ariadne glared at her, "He was no hero, and he was certainly no legend."

All of a sudden, Elizabeth understood, "You loved him."

"He was only interested in me because I had the device. When he realized I wouldn't give him the location of the other cities, he left me for my sister." Ariadne smiled wryly.

Elizabeth grimaced, her heart aching for the beautiful ancient. Ariadne glanced over at her, "Do not worry about me Elizabeth, and do not mourn for the one who left you. I can promise that there is another who you will cling to more tightly than the first, one who you love more than life itself and who loves you just as fiercely."

Elizabeth smiled, but her smile abruptly turned into a frown, "Wait, you said love and loves, as in the present tense…"

Ariadne laughed, "As I told you Elizabeth Weir, you will know in time."

She handed Elizabeth the navigational device, "Anyone with what you call the "ancient gene" will be able to use this." The ancient gave Elizabeth a warm squeeze on the shoulder, "Your friends are still outside, but we must act quickly to get you out of here. Your Colonel is about to do something…rather rash."

"But he's not my…" Elizabeth's protest was cut off as Ariadne suddenly transported them both out of the room.

It wasn't until she was no longer in the ancient's presence that she realized her weakness and exhaustion had all but disappeared and her pain had lessened while she was with Ariadne. It was a relief that faded as soon as the other woman left her, and one she dearly wished she could get back.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


	11. Reunion

**A/N: Hurray! Here's the next chapter. There will probably only be one or two more at the most. Enjoy! Thanks for the reviews!**

**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_**

"Look, all I'm saying is that we're not going to get in there using these," John held up his tool with contempt, "And I'm not leaving her in there!"

Rodney was pacing anxiously, "No one's saying you have to Colonel, but if we use C-4, there's a very good chance that you'll never find Elizabeth's…body."

John winced at McKay's word choice, but gathered himself and prepared to launch a rebuttal, "Look McKay…it's our only shot."

"What is?" The inquiry came from Ronon, who along with Teyla had just entered the clearing.

"Oh good, maybe you two can talk some sense into him," Rodney pointed an accusatory finger at John.

"What is it you wish to do?" Teyla directed her question at John.

He sighed, "We've been trying to get…Elizabeth out of the ruin so I…we, can take her home. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to make much progress using the tools Lorne's team brought, so I was thinking…"

"He was thinking of using C4 to blast his way in!" McKay exclaimed in horror, his eyes wide.

Teyla looked from the astrophysicist to Colonel Sheppard in surprise, "Is there not a risk that the ruin would collapse?"

McKay nodded so vehemently that John was surprised his head didn't roll off, "And since Elizabeth's…no longer with us, there's no way knowing where she is or of contacting her to tell her to move away from the section we're blasting. It's entirely possible that she would be buried."

"But you don't know for sure?" Ronon narrowed his eyes at the scientist.

Rodney rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Look, I'm telling you it would be a huge risk!"

"But it's one we have to take!" John reiterated fiercely. He turned to Lorne, "Major, get that C4 set up in a five foot line next to that writing, two sticks on each side of the device, understood?"

Lorne's reply was brisk, "Yes sir."

Teyla shot John a sharp look, "Colonel? Could I speak with you in private?"

John glanced at her, a question in his eyes. When she simply met his stare, he nodded, instructed Ronon to help Lorne's team, and McKay to stay out of the way before following her outside of the clearing.

"What is it Teyla?" His voice was gruff

She got right to the point, "I just want to make sure you understand what you are doing, that this is not something you will regret later."

He ran a hand through his perpetually tousled hair and laughed bitterly, "You know what I regret? I regret forcing her come to the mainland with us, I regret allowing her to help us figure out the writing on the ruins, I regret not being able to protect her, and I regret never telling her…" His voice trailed off.

Teyla's eyes softened in sympathy "Colonel Sheppard…" But whatever she had to say was interrupted by a commotion coming from the clearing.

John heard Lorne and McKay shouting and shot Teyla a startled glance. The Athosian met his eyes and then they both broke into a run. They burst onto the scene filled with trepidation, but didn't see any immediate danger. John was about to ask Lorne what the problem was when he saw her.

Her clothes were torn and dirty, her face streaked with dust. She looked battered and bruised and favored one leg heavily. In short, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Elizabeth!" His face lit up and his mouth curved into a face-splitting smile. He couldn't believe it, she was alive!

Relief and elation washed over him like a flood and before John could check himself he had run over and swept her up into a crushing hug, letting her go only when she let out a little gasp of pain. "I'm so sorry, I was just…Are you hurt?"

She winced a little but smiled brightly up at him none the less, her eyes liquid green pools of emotion. He could drown in those eyes, he realized idly. "Just a little the worse for wear," She coughed and then grimaced. "It's mostly bruises."

John frowned. "Sit down; let me take a look at you."

Everyone else chose that moment to descend upon Atlantis' leader however, so he didn't get the chance. Major Lorne was actually grinning, Ronon and Teyla kept shooting each other pleased smiles, and Rodney…well Rodney was bombarding Elizabeth with questions about what she had seen, how she had gotten out, etc. He looked relieved and happy though, so John wasn't too annoyed with the scientist's incessant inquiries.

John stood back and let the rest of the team fawn over Elizabeth for a while longer until he noticed her start to lose her composure. Once her excitement at being free had worn off he could see her exhaustion setting in. Her body visibly sagged.

John walked into the little gathering waving his arms. "All right everyone, give Dr. Weir some space."

Everyone dispersed except for Lorne, who only backed up a few feet. John appreciated the fact that the man's protective streak was a mile wide when it came to Elizabeth, but right now the major's obvious fondness for the expedition leader was grating on his nerves a little. Elizabeth, looking immensely relieved, sort of collapsed down onto the rock nearest her, somehow looking graceful as she did so. "Whoa, whoa, easy" John was at her side in an instant, concerned by her sudden fall.

"I…I'm okay John, just a little tired."

Taking in her haggard appearance John thought, _More than a little._ She smiled at him then, and weak though it was it still managed to make him forego conscious thought for a brief moment. "John?" Elizabeth was looking at him quizzically.

Realizing he had probably been staring, he coughed, "Uh….maybe I should take a look at that leg."

Elizabeth nodded, "I think I twisted my ankle a little."

She didn't even flinch as he gently tugged her boot off, but John did when he saw her ankle. _Everything with her is "a little." Talk about downplaying._ Her ankle was swollen and discolored. John didn't know how she had been able to use it as much as she had. Of course, Elizabeth was stronger than anyone he knew, himself included, so he wasn't too surprised.

Lorne sucked in a breath when he saw the condition of her ankle. Elizabeth turned to look at him. "That bad huh?"

"I'm sure it'll be okay ma'am." He put on what was probably meant to be a reassuring face and inched a little bit closer.

John shot him a look and the Major instantly backed up again. "I think it's broken," he told her, easing her ankle back down; "We need to get you back to Beckett."

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head with a slight smile, "He's going to kill me isn't he?"

John grinned, "Probably just fuss over you like a mother hen and say, 'I knew it was a bad idea!'"

Elizabeth instantly sobered. "That's probably what you're thinking isn't it?"

John shook his head, "Nah, I've never been one for 'I told you sos. '" He met her gaze with a serious look of his own. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you."

They just sat there like that for a moment, eyes fixed on each other, before she broke the silence, "You were."

"Sir?" Lorne had moved up behind him without him even noticing. "Should I go prep the Jumper?"

John nodded, "Tell everyone to get packed up and move out."

Lorne replied with an affirmation, then set off to get everyone ready to go. Elizabeth tried to get up but she sagged back down again just as quickly. "I just need a minute." She said when she saw John's look of concern.

He shook his head, "I wasn't going to let you walk anyway, not on your own."

Elizabeth looked like she was about to protest, but then obviously thought better of it. She sighed, "All right. I could probably use some help." She looked pained by what she most likely viewed as an admission of weakness.

"All right, just give me a minute to go check on everything, and then I'll be back."

She nodded, "Okay."

John had to work a little to get everything situated. Ronon and Teyla volunteered to walk and after John directed a pointed look at him, Rodney grudgingly agreed to as well. "Someone must go who has the ability to pilot the Jumper," Teyla had added in an attempt to mollify the astrophysicist.

Faced with the knowledge that he was important and needed, McKay had caved.

When John finally made it back to Elizabeth, he found her dozing. He gently shook her and her eyes shot open.

"John?" She mumbled.

"Yeah, it's me," he put an arm under hers and supported her as she tried to stand.

The trek back to the jumper wasn't easy for Elizabeth, John noticed; she leaned heavily on him the entire way and stumbled quite a bit. When they stopped for a quick break she would have fallen over had he not caught her at the last minute.

"Elizabeth?" He tilted her head so she was looking at him and what he saw there concerned him. When her eyes met his they were slightly unfocused, almost like she was gazing into another dimension.

"Elizabeth I need you to focus on me okay? You need to stay awake."

She was starting to nod when her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed against him.

John bit back a curse, "Elizabeth? Come on 'Lizabeth, wake up for me."

When he got no response, John slung one of her arms over his shoulder and gently gathered her in his arms. He made it the last twenty or so yards to the jumper in record time.

"Sir?" Lorne glanced back from the pilot's seat when John entered through the back hatch.

"Let's go; fire her up Major!" John tried to keep the panic out of his voice but judging from the looks the rest of the team gave him, he must not have entirely succeeded.

He scanned the seats for somewhere to place Elizabeth, but all but one had been taken.

"I'll stand sir," Lieutenant Blakeman volunteered.

John shook his head, "It's all right Lieutenant."

He positioned himself in the last seat, pointedly ignored the knowing looks that Blakeman and Sergeant Terrell were shooting each other. John felt Elizabeth's head shift against his shoulder and sighed in relief. Her eyes were still closed but that small movement slightly eased his fears.

John held Elizabeth as tightly as he dared, the knowledge that she was there with him, safe and alive, barely setting in. He reveled in her warmth, the feel of her soft hair under his chin, and the tickling sensation of her soft breaths against his collar. He had come so close to losing her, and the terror and hopelessness he'd felt had been unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was something he never wanted to experience again.

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**_


	12. Home Sweet Home

**A/N: One more chapter to go! Thanks for all the reviews!**

* * *

A very worried Carson Beckett, along with a medical team and a gurney, were waiting for them when they reached the city. Elizabeth was quickly whisked away, John following close behind.

"I think her ankle is broken," he informed the doctor, "and I'm pretty sure she has a concussion, but I don't know if there are any other injuries."

Hovering anxiously, John added, "I tried to keep her awake Carson, but she passed out and didn't regain consciousness for a while."

Beckett placed a comforting hand on John's shoulder as they entered the infirmary, "You did everything you could son; Elizabeth's going to be fine. We both know that she's as tough as nails. You, however, are being a bit of a nuisance. You stepped on my foot twice on the way down here. I know you're concerned, but I'm going to need you to stand back while we work on her."

John nodded, immensely relieved that Elizabeth's life wasn't in any danger. Leaning wearily against the infirmary wall, he watched the medical team go to work on her, setting and bandaging her ankle, examining her head and cleaning her cuts and scrapes. It could have been hours or minutes later, John wasn't sure, but eventually Carson removed his gloves and walked over.

"Well, you were right about the ankle. Elizabeth's got a compound fracture in her lower left fibula. You were also correct about that concussion. Luckily it's a mild one and her little nap doesn't seem to have caused any lasting damage. She's just a little disoriented right now and very dizzy. Unsurprisingly, she had a major headache as well, but I've given her some medication for the pain. She was also a wee bit dehydrated so we've started her on some fluids. Other than that she's just got scrapes and bruises. Based on how far she said she fell, I'd say Elizabeth was very lucky not to have been more seriously injured."

John heaved a sigh of relief and tiredly rubbed his face, bypassing the opportunity to ask Carson what she had gone through. For now it was enough that she was alive. At that moment, Colonel Caldwell walked in.

"Sheppard, Doctor," he acknowledged them briefly.

"John?" Elizabeth's voice sounded feeble.

He was at her side in an instant, "You okay?"

She nodded, then winced at the subsequent pounding in her head. "In my vest," she sank back into her pillow, "The device, I'd forgotten all about it."

John stared at her incredulously, "You found it?"

"What device?" Caldwell's eyes lit up with interest.

John grabbed Elizabeth's gear from where it had been lying in the corner and rooted through the pockets. His search produced a small octagonal box.

"What does it do?" Colonel Caldwell was looking at the device intently.

Elizabeth spoke from her location on the bed, "It shows the location of the other ancient cities in the Pegasus Galaxy."

John's eyes shot to hers in surprise, "How do you know?"

Elizabeth smiled tiredly, "An ancient told me."

John looked at her in amazement, a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue, but then he noticed how she was fighting to stay awake and immediately felt guilty that they were keeping her from getting any real rest. He was about to tell her that they could talk later but Caldwell, in a show of insensitivity, pushed ahead with a barrage of questions.

"There was an ancient in the ruins? Was that who gave you the device? Did he or she show you how to make it work?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and John could tell she was gathering herself so she could answer the Colonel's questions properly. He didn't like Caldwell's attitude, not one bit. Couldn't that thoughtless man see that she had been through enough already?

Before John could even think about reacting, Caldwell had taken the device from him and walked the short distance to Elizabeth's bed.

"Well? How does it work Dr. Weir?" the Colonel held the box-like object in front of her.

John's anger was rising and when he saw Elizabeth reach out with trembling hands to take the device he'd had enough. He was unsure what the consequences would be for berating a senior officer, but at that point he didn't care.

Luckily Dr. Beckett beat him to the punch, "That's enough! I leave for a few minutes to check on my other patients and when I return you're giving Dr. Weir the third degree! She needs to rest gentlemen, am I clear?" Carson's eyebrows rose in warning, and even Caldwell didn't want to face the Scot's wrath.

The Daedalus' commander shot John a look before tossing the gadget back to him and heading to the exit, "Let me know the instant she says anything Colonel," Caldwell's voice was soft, but John caught the underlying threat beneath his parting words.

John shook his head as he watched the Colonel leave, then turned his attention back to Elizabeth. After getting a quick but less than happy nod from Beckett, he made his way to the side of her bed and lightly brushed her arm with his thumb. Her tired eyes flickered to his face, "John…the device…"

"Don't worry about that right now Elizabeth. You need to get some sleep."

She sighed and closed her eyes, letting herself relax.

As he turned to go John murmured softly, "I'm really glad you're okay."

Elizabeth's lashes fluttered. "_Ex animo ad astra_," she whispered, scarcely loud enough for him to hear, and then her eyes closed once more and John knew she had fallen asleep when her breathing turned shallow and even.

John frowned. "Ex animad astro_," _he repeated.

He shook his head, that wasn't right. "Exanimo ad ostra," he tried again.

John chuckled and ran a hand over his face. He didn't even know what he was trying to do. Elizabeth's phrase meant nothing to him. For all he knew she could have been subconsciously quoting some line from a treaty she'd brokered however long ago. He turned to look at her sleeping form and pursed his lips. There had been something about the way she'd said it though, something that made him think twice about dismissing her words.

John closed his eyes and willed the correct phrase to come. "_Ex animo ad astra_."

He cautiously opened one eye. Nothing had happened, he was still standing in the same spot and the room was still intact. _So much for that, _he thought wryly.

John unconsciously fingered the device as he mused over Elizabeth's words. _They mean something, I'm sure of it and…hello, what's this?_ His thumb had brushed over a slight crack along one of the octagonal object's edges. He held the small mechanism up closer and peered at it curiously. He didn't think that the small fissure was a result of some sort of stress. It looked planned. Elizabeth had said that there was an ancient in the ruins, and the writing on the walls had been ancient, which led John to the natural conclusion that the device was of ancient design. So why hadn't it come alive when he'd touched it? He frowned deeply and turned the device over in his hand. No clues magically jumped out at him as he studied its smooth surfaces.

Suddenly a ridiculous notion popped into his head: what if he asked it to turn on for him? John shook his head, _Where in the world did that thought come from? _He glanced back at the object, _Well, it's not like it would hurt. _He chuckled a little to himself, thinking that maybe a session with Heightmeyer was in order.

_Well, here goes nothing. _He shut out everything around him and concentrated fiercely on the mechanism in front of him, _'Please work for me.'_

To his shock and wonderment, the device proceeded to do just that. It glowed brightly and unfolded like a flower budding after a spring rain. When a map of the galaxy sprang into existence before his eyes, John somehow knew that Elizabeth's strange words had been related to this. He inhaled deeply and gave it another shot, "_Ex animo ad astra!_"

John grinned in delight when a few of the planets represented on the map began to blaze fiercely. _Those must be locations of the other ancient cities_._ Rodney's going to have a coronary when he sees this!_ He glanced back at Elizabeth and smiled at the peaceful expression on her face. A stray curl had fallen across her forehead, and the worry lines had faded along her eyes and mouth, taking away the years that the stress of her job added during her waking hours.

His heart filled with pride and some emotion he wasn't sure he wanted to identify. Injured, tired and alone, Elizabeth had single-handedly done what his team had been unable to achieve, ancient help or not; and she had done it in true Elizabeth Weir fashion, without complaining. Before she'd been transported inside the ruin, she'd held herself as she usually did, with poise and grace. When she'd emerged from the labyrinth, exhausted, hurting and dirty, she hadn't lost an ounce of that quiet dignity. John had never met a woman quite like her before, and he suspected he never would again.

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	13. Resolution

**A/N: Last chapter! Wow, I can't believe it's finished! Thanks for all the support and feedback you guys have given me; it really kept me going. Hope you enjoy the ending!**

* * *

Elizabeth sank deeper into her pillows with a sigh. Colonel Caldwell, as well as the tag-team of McKay and Zelenka, had descended upon her shortly after she'd awoken, and they had finally left about a half an hour ago. It hadn't been soon enough. She ran a hand through her curls and grimaced to think what state her hair was in. She was lucky enough to get a shower in before her interrogation, but hadn't had time to do anything to make herself look presentable.

"How's the pain lass?" Carson's voice, coming from right next to her shoulder, made her jump. Elizabeth yelped when her head came into contact with the wall.

"Ach, I'm so sorry Elizabeth!" Carson apologized, his brows knit together in concern.

She winced and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, the medication was helping," she smiled wryly at the doctor.

Beckett started to apologize again but Elizabeth waved his attempt off, "Don't worry about it Carson, it's not your fault that I'm so high strung."

He smiled at her a bit sadly, "Aye, I'm sorry your vacation didn't allow you to get any real rest."

"That's not your fault either Carson," She pointed out.

Beckett shrugged, "That may be love; I'm just sorry you had to go through all that."

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably and picked at her sheets, "Well I'm fine, so there's nothing to be sorry about."

Carson shook his head, "Whatever you say Elizabeth, but you'll be spending at least a couple more days in the infirmary," he held up his hand to forestall any protests, "It's just a precaution, but I want to make sure I didn't miss anything, and you need the time to heal properly."

Elizabeth grumbled a little but didn't say anything.

"And in a few days we can give that vacation idea another go, eh?" Carson winked at her and Elizabeth frowned, unsure whether he was joking or not.

She was about to say something when she became distracted by the sound of boots on the hard infirmary floor. It was a distinctive pattern, one she would have recognized anywhere.

"Hey, how's Beckett's latest prisoner?" John grinned as he walked over and sat in the chair next to Elizabeth's bed.

"I'll let you two be for a while," Carson smiled and patted her shoulder. Before taking his leave he shot John a look of mock malevolency.

After the doctor had gone, John fixed her with a concerned look, "So how are you really Elizabeth?"

She smiled tiredly, "Well, once the initial excitement had worn off and Rodney, Zelenka, and Caldwell took their 'discussion' elsewhere, I was finally able to get a little peace and quiet." She shrugged and glanced around the infirmary, "But Carson says I'm going to have to stay in here for a few days, and I don't know what I'm going to do to keep from going crazy."

John leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I thought you might be bored, so I brought you a present, something to keep you busy."

With a huge grin on his face he whipped out a small bundle. Elizabeth took the paper wrapped package as John furtively glanced from side to side. She raised an eyebrow as she opened her gift, one corner of her mouth twitching, "War and Peace?" She pulled out John's slightly worn, dog-eared copy of the book.

His grin grew even wider, "I figured it would be right up your alley."

Elizabeth had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. "I see you made it all the way to page 62," she smirked, fingering the last marked corner.

John's eyes danced with mischief, "Still right on schedule."

Unable to hold it in any longer, Elizabeth laughed, a silvery sound that warmed and filled the cold infirmary. "Thank you John, I appreciate the fact that you're willing to fall behind on your reading just so I can keep myself occupied."

"For you? Anything."

Elizabeth blushed and John looked away, embarrassed, when he realized the implications of what he'd said.

Elizabeth hesitantly reached out to touch his arm, but changed her mind. As she started to withdraw her hand, John caught it in his own, "You scared me 'Lizabeth," his voice, normally so strong, wavered slightly and his hand, usually so firm, had acquired a bit of a tremor. "I thought you were dead."

Elizabeth drew a shuddering breath and clasped his hand tightly, overwhelmed by his show of emotion. "I'm sorry," she had a hard time speaking around the lump that had formed in her throat.

He raised his eyes to meet hers, the tiniest hint of a smile gracing his lips, "Just don't do it again."

She let out a soft laugh at the reminder of a similar conversation they'd had less than two days before. It felt like it had been ages ago. "I'll try not to."

He reached out and smoothed her curls behind her ear, his thumb lingering on her cheek. He smiled then, really smiled, and stood to leave, "I really am glad you're okay Elizabeth," he let go of her hand, "I'm not sure what I would do without you."

He turned to go, giving her one last searching look. When he reached the door, something dawned on Elizabeth, "Hey John?"

He paused, "Yeah?"

"Do you know the story of Theseus and the labyrinth?"

He nodded, "Rodney filled me in. Why?"

She touched the spot on her cheek where his hand had rested, "Do you know what happened to Ariadne?"

He furrowed his brow as he thought about it, "Well if I remember correctly, there are a few different versions of what happened to her after Theseus abandoned her." He shrugged, "Some say she ended up fading away and dying, some that she was killed, and others that she met Dionysus. Of the stories that mention her meeting Dionysus, some say that he fell in love with her, but she couldn't find it in her heart to love again. Others say she fell in love with him, more deeply than she had with Theseus," John grinned playfully, "and that the two lived happily ever after, queen and king."

Elizabeth smiled knowingly, "I think the last version is the closest to the truth."

John nodded, "I like that version the best myself."

Their eyes met, green to green, sending a jolt of electricity through her body. John inhaled sharply and she knew he had been similarly affected. Elizabeth had to look away in order to steady her breathing and slow her racing heart.

"Good night Elizabeth," John's voice was low and husky.

She brought her hands up to cover her flushed cheeks, "Good night John."

When he had gone, Elizabeth let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding and slid down further under the covers, a funny warm sensation filling her entire being. She curled up on her side and unconsciously smiled against her pillow, thinking about the ancient's mysterious words, _"In time you will understand."_

Elizabeth's last thought before her eyes closed was, _I think I've figured it out now Ariadne, I really think I have; _and then she slipped into a deep, untroubled sleep.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

_This time she dreamed about standing on one of Atlantis' balconies, pure sunshine glistening on the water and a light breeze playing with her hair as she gazed out over the endless ocean. The same strange figure from her earlier dream stood farther away, cloaked in a shadow cast by one of the city's spires. _

"_I'm glad I could save you Ariadne," the man whispered. _

_She gasped as he stepped out of the darkness and she could finally see who he was. John Sheppard's beautiful sage-green eyes came to rest on her face and he smiled gently, "I would never have let you fall."_

_She smiled back, "I know."_

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End file.
